Pelicans in Central Texas?

But a brown pelican, a colony of seagulls and other Texas shorebirds are doing just fine at the Cameron Park Zoo's Brazos River Country exhibit.

For a city its size, Waco has plenty of attractions, from the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum to the museum honoring Waco's contribution to the American diet -- Dr. Pepper. But the zoo's $7.8 million Brazos River Country exhibit, opened in 2005, is reason enough for a family trip to Waco.

First of all, a tip of the Stetson to the nationally accredited zoo for coming up with a unique idea: Showcasing one of Texas' major rivers. Since Waco lies astride the Brazos, it's only fitting that it should be the home of an educational and entertaining attraction demonstrating the river's seven diverse ecosystems, from seashore (that's where the gulls come in) to the high and mostly dry plains.

Visitors begin their ecological-historical journey inside the recreated hull of a sunken Spanish galleon. The first thing you'll notice inside is that it feels like you're walking on real sand. But it's artfully made of rubber.

Texas has bigger salt water aquariums, but none this side of Houston or Corpus Christi. The 50,000-gallon tank inside the galleon holds a variety of fish from the garden reefs in the Gulf of Mexico off the mouth of the Brazos, including a big-eyed boy named Boyd.

Outside, the zoo has recreated what passes admirably for a sandy Texas seashore. This time the sand is real, as are the coastal vegetation and shore birds. A discrete net over the area keeps the birds from heading home.

In the East Texas Forest region, kids can enjoy the clear-plastic tube slide through the river otter tank, but it would be a bit tight for all but the most diminutive adults. Given that Baylor University's mascot is a bear, it's only fitting that a couple of Texas black bears are featured. But the bears, who busy themselves alternately chomping their ample chops, pacing and scratching (a bear skin coat is kind of warm in summer), also are representative of the piney woods region, though scarce today.

The Blackland Prairie-Post Oak Savannah section of the exhibit highlights Waco's early history with authentic reproductions of the grass huts once occupied by Huaco Indians.

Another indoor tank features the freshwater fish found in the Brazos, including paddlefish, a species that has survived since dinosaurs trod Texas. An exhibit on fresh water mussels found along the river's banks points out that while they don't have a particularly exciting life it's at least a long one, sometimes lasting a century.

The Cross Timbers section has a fossil dig and a butterfly garden, as well as jaguars and ocelots (yes, those critters once ranged into Central and North Texas) and a Brazos waterfall. Next stop is the Edwards Plateau region, where an old barn is full of owls and other creatures of the night.

Finally, on the High Plains where the buffalo used to roam, they still do in this unique, well-done exhibit.

The Cameron Park Zoo is located at 1701 N. 4th Street, west of downtown. It's open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The zoo only closes for the big three holidays. For more information on the zoo and the new Brazos River Country exhibit, call 254-750-8400 or visit their Web site at www.cameronparkzoo.com

The Brazos exhibit takes a minimum of an hour to see. Add at least another hour or two for the rest of the zoo.

You can't feed the animals, but after taking in the zoo, you may be hungry as a bear. The remedy for that is the Heitmiller Family Steakhouse, just north of Waco at Elm Mott. The steaks and burgers are excellent and affordable. One of the Heitmillers greets you at the door and hands you a stubby pencil and a one-sheet menu. You write down what and then hand your order to waitperson.

If you have time before heading to dinner, check out the Dr. Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute at 300 S. 5^th St. An old bottling plant has been converted into an interesting museum telling the story of the famous soft drink invented in Waco in 1885. For more information, see their Web site at www.drpeppermuseum.com

To get to the Heitmiller Family Steakhouse, you have to drive past the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum at 100 Texas Ranger Trail (I-35 North and University Parks Drive). The museum telling the story of the world-famous law enforcement organization is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily exhibit Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Call 254-750-8631 or visit www.texasrangers.org

Finally, the Heitmiller Family Steakhouse is located north of town in Elm Mott at exit 353. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Call 254-829-2651 for more information.